Senior Engineer, Mechanical Test

What you'll do

• Design, build, and operate test fixtures and systems involving hydraulic actuation, mechanical linkages, and sensor instrumentation.
• Support hydraulic system design and test activities, including selection, integration, and troubleshooting of components such as valves, pumps, accumulators, actuators, fittings, hoses, and manifolds.
• Develop and execute test plans to validate mechanical performance, structural integrity, and environmental durability.
• Integrate and calibrate a range of sensors (e.g., load cells, pressure transducers, strain gauges, accelerometers) into test setups for accurate data collection.
• Create and maintain python scripts to provide automation, signal processing, and result visualization.
• Analyze test data, troubleshoot system behaviors, and generate detailed technical reports with design feedback.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including mechanical design, systems, and electrical engineering to define test requirements and interpret results.
• Lead CAD design of custom test equipment, prototypes, fixtures, and components, ensuring manufacturability and safety.
• Perform Finite Element Analysis to simulate mechanical performance, validate design assumptions, and correlate analytical results with test data.
• Work with composite materials in the design, fabrication, and testing of mechanical components, with consideration for their unique properties such as anisotropy, delamination risk, and layup configuration.
• Support lab safety protocols, equipment maintenance, and continuous improvement of test capabilities.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 6+ years of experience in mechanical/structures testing or product development environments.
• Deep experience with hydraulic systems, driving precise control, stable operation, and reliable data capture across complex test environment.
• Expertise in sensor selection, integration, and calibration in test environments, producing high-confidence data used to inform critical design decisions.
• Proficiency in Python for scripting, test automation, and data analysis.
• Advanced CAD skills (e.g. Siemens NX) with experience designing test hardware and prototypes.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and in team settings.

Preferred qualifications

• Comprehensive understanding of hydraulic schematics, pressure and flow characterization, leak detection methodologies, instrumentation, and the safe operation of pressurized hydraulic systems.
• Experience working in aerospace structures and dynamics test environments with familiarity with test article preparation, sensor installation, data acquisition systems, reaction frame design, test readiness reviews, and post-test data analysis.